Elite Card

[brazil]

it is the whole point of this thread

that the government want to keep the program

and for those people with an interest in looking at the program then it is wiser to read the comments of the new tourism minister rather than read //edit: flame removed - lopburi3//

i might be new to thaivisa but i am not new to thailand and i love any program which allows foreigners to live their dream in thailand.

[suiging]

I find it difficult to understand the posters on here who are jumping all over this scheme. I do not have one ( can't afford it ) but if I had the money and wished to have one considering the benefits viable for me, I would not hesitate. What is wrong with a scheme that gives another method for folk under fifty to live in the place we enjoy ?

Many are quick to call the Thai Authorities all sorts of hurtful names when they screw the nut on visas, why do the same group vilify the same people when they keep open a scheme, that if you can afford it ,offers a very pleasent alternative to the back seat of a van on a sweaty run to Cambodia ?

[brazil]

i love it

a card that has a renewable 5 year tourist visa which allows the tourist never to have to leave thailand

wow

how can anybody be negative about this program

it is what dreams are made of to have such a way to live in thailand

i would be very happy to pay 1 million baht to the new governement for this program

i do enjoy reading the negative comments on this thread it reminds me of those kind of people the new thai government is trying to eradicate

[MiG16]

new government huh :| I will try to say no more

[brazil]

ah mr mig you can do better than that post

um yes new governement

new ways of making money

new people to become greedy in their old age

and less and less ways of staying in thailand

so good they want to keep this program

and good to know there will always be that negative foreigner waiting in the wings with those wonderful comments.

[The Coder]

I find it difficult to understand the posters on here who are jumping all over this scheme.

One factor may be a case of sour grapes. A lot of people thought the program would be useful before it was rolled out, but when the details emerged it was a disappointment leaving hopefuls a bit miffed. It seems the card benefits were created in a vacuum, without round tables to understand the customer and model benefits around their needs (though admittedly there have been some small improvements in this area lately). Overall they seem as lost as ever as to why 99.8% of the target market still wants no part of it and are going to yet again miss their forecasts by a mile.

Another factor is often the articles in the press are an own goal (ludicrous forecasts, not paying their bills to CNN, and other bizarre announcements) and people react to that.

What is wrong with a scheme that gives another method for folk under fifty to live in the place we enjoy ?

I am sure if the cards were 1 billion baht there would still be the same rhetoric about how great it is and how worthwhile the visa and benefits are: like wow it’s only $25 million bucks and I get yada yada yada--this thing is great! The point is yes, it has a nice visa, but people can do a lifetime of visa runs using other methods for less, albeit with varying levels of inconvenience and so it just sounds silly to them. There is a point of value for money; just because you have enough money doesn't mean you will opt for this card, a fact the Elite company still does not seem to understand.

The other problem even before this year was how long can a failing program with a grim outlook that was a pet project of a particular PM survive? No warning has been stronger than today’s Bangkok post where the new government says this particular program may go up to the chopping block. Of course TAT likes the program since it encourages people to come to Thailand, but that in no way guarantees its survival.

[MiG16]

ah mr mig you can do better than that post

um yes new governement

new ways of making money

new people to become greedy in their old age

and less and less ways of staying in thailand

so good they want to keep this program

and good to know there will always be that negative foreigner waiting in the wings with those wonderful comments.

well... I didnt comment further cos my thoughts when I said new government...wasnt dwelling on the ELITE card aspect...which would have made my post irrelevant

plus....i think we still have the 'positive comments about the you know who' rule in place dont we...

hence I better keep quiet...for now

and oh....that would be Ms. to you

[brazil]

oh no way i thought you guys are all asleep

well the article today was asking that the government to look into these programs and was written by a journalist. not by the people who matter(those in power now

the same paper and that of the nation carried a very positive outlook for this program written by the man who matters 2 weeks ago.

and if it was doomed then they would have not said it was worthwhile to carry on and placed their good name against the program

on the subject that you can keep on doing these visas and border runs and it is therefore cheaper, you must be dreaming or something, it will only get harder

as for the money . so what

what is 1 million baht in todays world

i mean people pay 2 million baht just to reserve a table of 4 at an exclusive club in st tropez for the night.

even in bkk today many people are paying 10k or 20k baht for a dinner or an evening out

staying at the many 5 star hotels and spas will set you back 8-10k a night just for the room.

lets not forget the new slogan of our new government

quality not quantity

this means mostly those tourists with alot of cash

sorry guys they dont want that foreigner walking around with his shorts and t-shirt carrying a tesco shopping bag looking rather lost.

i say goodluck to the new government and wish it bring in more programs like this so it offers more foreigners a more peacefull stay in thailand.

times are changing and with will go the old crowd of foreigners in thailand and in their place will be the new crowd with a little more money

[brazil]

yes you are right mig 16 your post was on the outside of my comments.

and also right for all of us to be respectfull and mindfull to the new government

[lapamita]

the thaielitecard is an option, but a very expensive one compare to benefits

1 mio baht a 5% intrest already 50000 p.year, and if you use 10 years divid for 1 mio is 100k, so the card is 150.000 k in a year.

the problem why i not take this card,,, is mostly thai gohook style, i ot belive in it, because of the disclaimer

DISCLAIMER

any benefits or rights could be changed at any time without prior notice

this is stated on the webside of thaielite

so i pay and no garantee at all !!!

if there would standing

-- if we cancell programm or visa issue we would refund the money

--and maybe you could buy a piece of land for a house

yes i would bought it already!!!

but pay 1 million for no garantee ???????????????

sorry not with me, and you cannot get a lawyer in case, because they already stated on the webside NO GARANTEE !!!!!!!!!!!!

[lapamita]

*Remark: - Special entry visa is for Thailand Elite Member only - Visa renewal process can be granted with a five day prior notice

The visa privilege conditions, extension periods, and fees are subject to change by the office of the Immigration Bureau

and

The Company shall not be liable to the Member or anyone else for any product or service provided by the Service Provider in all cases

and

The Member hereby waives any and all claims against the Company arising out of the use or the inability to use the Privileges.

and

The Company reserves the rights to limit and modify Privileges without prior notice

and

A privilege is void where prohibited by law ( visas???)

this all from thaieliteside

OU HAVE ONLY THE RIGHT TO PAY NOTHING ELSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maizefarmer]

So then guys 'n girls .... after 3pages of contributions we still do not have anyone who contributed to this thread who has an Elite Card and can share with us just what a good or bad investment it was.

..... I think that in it's self says quite a bit, but as a last ditch effort - can anyone tell me just how many were applied for an/or have been issued to date?

Tim

[dsfbrit]

So then guys 'n girls .... after 3pages of contributions we still do not have anyone who contributed to this thread who has an Elite Card and can share with us just what a good or bad investment it was.

..... I think that in it's self says quite a bit, but as a last ditch effort - can anyone tell me just how many were applied for an/or have been issued to date?

Tim

Churchill posted an article with this - here:http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=85514&pid=956457&st=75entry956457

...

Projects like the Thailand Elite Card, Thailand Longstay, Bangkok Fashion City, Kitchen of the World, are among those that have proved to be a liability for the country and need to be thoroughly re-examined by the current government. The Thailand Elite Card project perhaps serves as the best illustration. It was launched at the whim of Mr Thaksin and advisers, without a proper feasibility study. Ever since its launch in 2003 as a strategic tool to promote tourism, Thailand Privilege Card Co (TPC), a firm owned by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) with one billion baht in funding from the national coffers, has suffered a loss of over 550 million baht.

Mr Thaksin had set an ambitious target to sell one million memberships _ each at one million baht and entitling the holder to a range of privileges, including fast-track immigration clearance and multiple entry visa _ within the first five years of its introduction. To date, only 1,700 memberships have been issued.

...

[Maizefarmer]

WHAT - they have issued 1700 cards!!!!!

Blimey - I didnt realise that - I thought it was something in the region of a dozen or so - but you say they have issued 1700!!!! - and they project is runing at a huge Baht 550 million loss despite having earned Baht 1.7billion from the sale of those Elite Cards!!

Well - never mind the the stark statement that meakes about how well it has been run - none of them are Thai Visa Forum members!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tim

[ovenman]

and i am sure the new tourism minister is not a complete fool when he chooses to say the elite card is a good program.

That's an interesting observation. I'll bet you that six weeks ago, some minister was touting both Kitchen of the World and Fashion City as being "good programs".

Edited October 25, 2006 by ovenman

[Tarqin]

I actually know someone who has an Elite Card. He was presented with it due to his connections to a business owned by Thaksin's family.

He says its practically useless. He has all the connections he needs to get what he wants with or without the card.

I know no one who has paid for one.

If anyone does I would be grateful for the name as I have some magic beans for sale at a very reasonable price.

[gerry1011]

I am an early member.

I am very happy about the benefits and services of TE.

I do think that the convenience it offers is worth more than a million.

[johnnyk]

i mean people pay 2 million baht just to reserve a table of 4 at an exclusive club in st tropez for the night.

even in bkk today many people are paying 10k or 20k baht for a dinner or an evening out

staying at the many 5 star hotels and spas will set you back 8-10k a night just for the room.

I doubt very much that people are paying US$50,000 or 41,000 euros to reserve a table.

People who pay 8-10K baht for a hotel are usually on company business and expense accounts.

10-20K baht for 6 people to have a dinner at the Oriental or similar is still only US$40-80 each not expensive by international standards and the Oriental is int'l standard.

But 1 million baht for a piece of plastic with few tangibles is a bit much, especially when the scheme is linked intimately to the ancien regime. Still, it might eventually come in handy at the 7-11.

[tt61]

I did post earlier in this thread stating that I was a member quite satisfied with the services included with the TE membership. A pity some people don't read the posts before posting their comments here...

Although there are a number of benefits included with the TE membership I would guesstimate that at least 80% purchase the card for the visa privileges alone, myself included. I for one use only the airport fast track service, which is very good and convenient. As the TE membership comes with a Thai Royal Orchid Plus Gold Card it is a great addition to the program for frequent flyers who want lounge access, complimentary class upgrades, priority check-ins etc.

I have never used any of the other perks, like golf rounds, massage, restaurants and hotels etc. simply because I'm not into these things.

As I mentioned in my earlier post within this thread I think it pays for itself, especially when viewed in the light of the recent visa tightening policies which makes it more and more difficult to stay in LOS long time, particularly so if you're below 50 years of age.

For people like myself, who are below 50, can afford it, hate hassles and place value on convenience and service I believe the TE membership is definitely worth considering.

As previously mentioned, nobody knows which direction the TE is going, we can all only guess, but in my opinion, apart from reasons of payback, I can't see why this scheme should go the same way as its founder. It clearly fills a void (in removing the visa obstacles) for those "caught in the middle" and for those who can afford it.

[sriracha john]

Bangkok Post says the company lost 550 million plus.

You say that the Elite boss (the boss for this month, anyway) says they made 400 million.

Someone is wrong.

The thing is... there are MANY, MANY articles from a whole slew of numerous sources documenting Elite's huge losses of taxpayer's money.

*** edit ***

...but hey, good first post anyway...

:D

400 million baht is the cash flow of the elite card currently

the 550 million baht is money spent on advertising in the first couple of years. even if you are somehat slow or old there is no way that any of you can say that they have spent more than 1.7 billion baht on promoting the card in 3 years

the income of 1.7 billion baht far outways the expenditure

and i am sure the new tourism minister is not a complete fool when he chooses to say the elite card is a good program.

as for the funds there are paid to the elite card company which is owned by the tourism authority of thailand.thats right owned by the new government and the new tot boss. so all funds go to these people not to someone is no longer the prime minister.

as for the cut and paste of the article from todays bkk post, it seems like a crass attempt for some newbie spotty journalist trying to make waves, whereas the reality is the the new government like it, it makes easy money and it helps bring the quality wealthy tourists to thailand

Sorry to see our new member go downhill with his second post...

You keep quoting 1.7 billion as the Card's income... when, in fact, it's nowhere near that amount. Hundreds and hundreds of 1700 cards were given out free. Precisely how many were bought and just how many were given out for free is unknown because those numbers have never been released by the Program. So much for transparency and open, honest disclosures. Precisely how many were sold for 1 million baht (the cost for people not living in Thailand) and how many were sold for 2 million baht (the cost for people living in Thailand)? Again, unknown, with the murky accounting utilized by the Program.

I would have said, hopefully, your third and subsequent posts would show improvement, but I see it's already too late for that wishful thinking to occur.

oh well...

I would have addressed all the mistakes and erroneous assessments in your subsequent posts, but really there's no need to as they have already been stated previously in the OTHER fifty-one threads on this dead horse. Perhaps you could help yourself first by reading a few dozen or so of them. To make it easier for the new member, the link to find them is provided earlier in this fifty-second thread.

Edited October 26, 2006 by sriracha john

[gerry1011]

i mean people pay 2 million baht just to reserve a table of 4 at an exclusive club in st tropez for the night.

even in bkk today many people are paying 10k or 20k baht for a dinner or an evening out

staying at the many 5 star hotels and spas will set you back 8-10k a night just for the room.

I doubt very much that people are paying US$50,000 or 41,000 euros to reserve a table.

People who pay 8-10K baht for a hotel are usually on company business and expense accounts.

10-20K baht for 6 people to have a dinner at the Oriental or similar is still only US$40-80 each not expensive by international standards and the Oriental is int'l standard.

But 1 million baht for a piece of plastic with few tangibles is a bit much, especially when the scheme is linked intimately to the ancien regime. Still, it might eventually come in handy at the 7-11.

You obviously don't know much of what is happening in St Tropez. These kind of little dinner parties happen there every summer, as well as in many other HiSo places around the world. Even in Bangkok where, not so long ago, you could have an exclusive dinner priced at 1 million baht.

For some people paying a million for a dinner is "fun".

Paying 10k baht for a hotel night is not uncommon at all for many people who don't care (and don't need) to put the invoice in their expenses. Some people pay three or four times that price too...

You doubt about it because this is a world to which you don't belong. But this world exists and these people are out there...

What might seem to be big money for some will mean peanuts for others... This is what many here can't put into their brain.

What if you go up in the hills of Thailand and say to some tribe villagers that you bought a suit in London for 60.000 baht?

You will think that you bought a real nice suit (quite cheap though), while the villager will think you are crazy, stupid or that you lie.

I am very happy to be able to stay confortably in Thailand. TE makes many things easy for its members, and I think that a million is really a bargain.

[Meerkat]

To go back to the OP's original question...

There are three or four of us on this thread who are members, and seem to be very satisfied with what we've bought.

We know the risks and have been happy to accept them. We've probably all got different reasons for joining, and make more or less use of the different perquisites.

As with anything in life targeted towards those with more disposable income, there'll always be those ready to knock it down, and who will be ecstatic if the scheme folds. I have no doubt that if the programme only cost 10,000 baht instead of a million, those same people would have already signed up. That, sadly, is just the way the world goes round.

To the guy pointing out that it is written into the scheme's T&Cs that there is no guarantee, I'd answer that that is precisely why TE is not for those for whom the loss of a million baht would be more than a minor inconvenience. I take considerably larger risks with my investment portfolio with exactly the same lack of guarantee; we all have different appetites for risk.

Finally, regarding the article in the BKK post, I find it faintly amusing that the chap who wrote it castigated the authorities for setting up the scheme "on a whim" without a feasibility study, and then in the same breath states that it should be scrapped, on a whim, without a feasibility study. It's not as if he's got any of the facts to hand, is it? None of us has.

[sriracha john]

Rather than the cost being the major reason this Program is a flop, I would proffer that it's the benefits.

If they were able to fulfill their original promise to offer true land ownership, sales would have been through the roof, including myself.

It's interesting that so many people bought the Card for it's visa privileges, when that isn't the focus of the Company, but is more of an afterthought throw-in. The Company apparently doesn't know it's clients very well... but then again, perhaps they do.

The number one purchasers of the Card are from South Korea, followed by Japan, followed by Taiwan... the vast majority of whom it would be easy to envision utilize the Card for it's golfing and spa benefits while briefly visiting the Kingdom.

For the throw-in visa benefits, which seems to be the focus of many of its farang owners, it's not worth it.

Add in the company's many problems including its questionable longevity, it seems like a really poor investment risk... rather like investing in Enron AFTER its CEO Skilling was arrested.

But for all these astute investors... go for it...

[ovenman]

The number one purchasers of the Card are from South Korea, followed by Japan, followed by Taiwan... the vast majority of whom it would be easy to envision utilize the Card for it's golfing and spa benefits while briefly visiting the Kingdom.

For the throw-in visa benefits, which seems to be the focus of many of its farang owners, it's not worth it.

I think that's exactly the target market that Mr Big had in mind when he dreamt up this scheme back in 2002. Anybody who was around back then may recall that the intended Card market was specifically not for an applicant that resided, or wanted to reside, in Thailand. The visa was not included as a method of buying Permanent Residence. It was merely a souped-up tourist visa, presumably added to aid card members that are citizens of countries not eligible for thirty-day visa-free entry stamps.

[johnnyk]

i mean people pay 2 million baht just to reserve a table of 4 at an exclusive club in st tropez for the night.

even in bkk today many people are paying 10k or 20k baht for a dinner or an evening out

staying at the many 5 star hotels and spas will set you back 8-10k a night just for the room.

I doubt very much that people are paying US$50,000 or 41,000 euros to reserve a table.

People who pay 8-10K baht for a hotel are usually on company business and expense accounts.

10-20K baht for 6 people to have a dinner at the Oriental or similar is still only US$40-80 each not expensive by international standards and the Oriental is int'l standard.

But 1 million baht for a piece of plastic with few tangibles is a bit much, especially when the scheme is linked intimately to the ancien regime. Still, it might eventually come in handy at the 7-11.

You obviously don't know much of what is happening in St Tropez. These kind of little dinner parties happen there every summer, as well as in many other HiSo places around the world. Even in Bangkok where, not so long ago, you could have an exclusive dinner priced at 1 million baht.

For some people paying a million for a dinner is "fun".

Paying 10k baht for a hotel night is not uncommon at all for many people who don't care (and don't need) to put the invoice in their expenses. Some people pay three or four times that price too...

You doubt about it because this is a world to which you don't belong. But this world exists and these people are out there...

What might seem to be big money for some will mean peanuts for others... This is what many here can't put into their brain.

What if you go up in the hills of Thailand and say to some tribe villagers that you bought a suit in London for 60.000 baht?

You will think that you bought a real nice suit (quite cheap though), while the villager will think you are crazy, stupid or that you lie.

I am very happy to be able to stay confortably in Thailand. TE makes many things easy for its members, and I think that a million is really a bargain.

St. Tropez is not my scene but I do spend 6 months a year at my house in SW France and I have lived in France for years so I do know something about HiSo there and am not impressed by it.

I suspect I have been in a few more US$8 million chateaux than you have seen in magazines.

Maybe one time someone paid US$50K to eat at a certain place but don't try to make it sound commonplace. Did you enjoy the party?

10K baht for a hotel room is peanuts, quite common actually, friend of mine stayed in the cheapest room at the Ritz in Paris years ago it was about 35,000 baht.

Fools are fools, some have more money.

[sriracha john]

Fools are fools, some have more money.

A very fitting phrase to close out this thread on the Elite card...

see you all around for the fifty-third ...

well done, johnny

[Maizefarmer]

And as the member who started this thread I'll end it...... by saying that the only real valid comments made here were by those who hold the card who by and large purchased it for the purceived convieniance that it offered - all of who are quite satifisfied that they have got from it what they wanted.

Fair enough.

If you are a Elite Card holder and haven't made a contribution yet to this thread, I'd still like to hear from you. If you are not but want to make a comment about how you see the card's value, fine by all means do so but please start another thread.

Thanks.

Tim

[wimsikkes]

A mind-numbing FIFTY-ONE threads on the Thai Elite Card are available here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?ac...;highlite=elite

Pick one...

Sorry, an error occurred. If you are unsure on how to use a feature, or don't know why you got this error message, try looking through the help files for more information.

The error returned was:

Sorry, but we did not find any matches to display. Try again and broaden your search criteria. If you were searching for new posts since your last visit, it's possible that there are none to show

[The Coder]

Earlier this year, the elite company announced the membership fee will increase from 1 million to 2-4 million baht, probably in 2008 (the managing director went on to announce capping the program at 7000 cards, but that's another subject). Anyway, I wonder for those that find the card a worthwhile purchase at 1m, then what do you think if the cost were quadrupled to 4m? Still a good deal at any price or is there a ceiling?

[brazil]

oh dear me

we have a saying in england that people are like victor meldrew. he is a well known comedy character who is kinda old and always complaining.

well its because he is frustrated in his life, unhappy, bored, lonely even though he has a wife or a gf and hates himself for having little financial means at a ripe old age of life.

i think this a fair description of most of the negative guys posting threads on this post.